


5 Times Floyd Made Him Break The Rules and 1 Time Riddle Did It On His Own

by resonata



Series: from land to sea, from you to me [1]
Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Feelings Realization, Learning to Swim, M/M, Near Drowning, Riddle's high blood pressure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:53:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25402639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/resonata/pseuds/resonata
Summary: As much as Riddle tried to follow all the rules, Floyd didn't care.
Relationships: Floyd Leech/Riddle Rosehearts
Series: from land to sea, from you to me [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1851157
Comments: 21
Kudos: 274





	5 Times Floyd Made Him Break The Rules and 1 Time Riddle Did It On His Own

**_Rule #16:_ ** _One must always maintain a clean and proud appearance, no matter what the circumstances._

Although Riddle had agreed with members of his dormitory that it was too hot during the summer season to the point that even the roses were wilting, he could not understand why, out of all places, they had to go to the ocean. 

Riddle stared from under the beach umbrella, sitting on his neatly placed towel. He could’ve stayed back in the dormitory with his studies and paperwork but _no._ Cater thought it would be a fun little trip for everyone in Heartslabyul to bond and build friendships. If that was truly his goal (judging by his constant picture taking and talking to girls on the beach, it was definitely not) then Riddle had no reason to be there.

He tightened his hold on his arm.

He wanted to improve and get better but it was still difficult. Everywhere he looked, there were people breaking the rules and making fools of themselves but he had to remind himself not to behead them. There was a twitch in his fingers but he had to force himself to ignore it.

_This won’t do, this won’t do!_

He nearly snapped when Ace splashed Deuce with a wave more than 200cm tall, going against Rule #773 (splashes cannot be more than half a person’s height), effectively making him look like a drowned rat. Ace and the other first-years were laughing and Deuce looked like he was ready to attack. 

Riddle swallowed his pride.

It was a ridiculous rule, he had to remind himself. He had to be more aware, look at the people around them, and read how they were feeling.

But everyone was laughing joyously while Riddle sat alone on the towel. Even Trey had disappeared at one point to look around the area. 

Riddle stood up, unable to take the happy atmosphere anymore. Perhaps if he took a walk, the tension would dissipate and then Trey would return. He told him he had packed a special strawberry treat just for the trip and it would be against Rule #251 to rummage through his personal belongings to find it. 

With that in mind, knowing that was a rule he was unwilling to break, Riddle walked off, away from his spot. 

Further to the ends of the beach, there were less and less people. There were rocky parts that he was able to walk on and quietly watch the little crabs that skittered about. Such creatures were free of ridiculous rules and just continued living life, searching for their needs at the present rather than think of the future. None of them had any worries and marched to their own tempo, whether it was to sleep or eat. No strict schedule, no strict diet. 

Riddle exhaled. 

“Oooh, is that a goldfish I see?”

An unpleasant shiver went down his spine. Riddle looked up, expecting to see Floyd looming above him like he always did, but he didn’t see him. Unnaturally, he lowered his gaze, noticing Floyd leaning on the stone, grinning at him. 

He should’ve expected this, after all, the water was where anyone from Octavinelle thrived. Even so, Riddle furrowed his brow, his usual annoyance building up.

“What are you doing here?”

“This is my home of course!” Floyd’s answered with a swish of his tail, peeking out from under the water. “And a little goldfish has come to play~”

Riddle was glad that he was in his merform so he could just as easily stand up and walk away. There was no need to deal with Floyd when he had the advantage even if Riddle could still probably beat him with such.

At least, he thought he had the advantage.

_SPLASH_

And suddenly, he was soaked. His bangs were in his eyes and goosebumps from the cold water danced on his skin. He was frozen, shocked for a moment, before he whipped around and saw Floyd laughing.

“You truly are a goldfish now!”

_“How dare you!”_ Riddle stomped over and cursed that he didn’t have his Magic Pen on him. He was so naive. “I should fry you up and serve you to my dormitory for such disrespect!”

“It’s only a little bit of water,” Floyd was never threatened by Riddle which frustrated him even more. “You’re at the beach but you’re as dry as Trein’s lessons. Come play with me~” 

“My hair is a mess, I smell of salt, and my clothes are wet now!”

“Isn’t that what you guys call a ‘swimsuit’?”

“I had no intention of swimming today!” Riddle announced. 

Floyd blinked. “Then what are you doing at the beach if you weren’t gonna swim? Do a crab dance? No, even the crab is swimming—”

“It’s none of your concern!” Riddle exclaimed. He turned around again. “Now if you excuse me, I’m off to find Trey.”

He had walked a few steps before he heard the crash of a wave against the shore, and water dripping behind him. Something had grabbed his ankle and he screamed as he was lifted from the ground and thrown into the water. 

The clear blue sky disappeared slowly as his vision blurred. His surroundings became darker the deeper he sank and he kicked his legs, hoping that they could help like they did when Ace and Deuce were racing. He tried to move his arms in the same motions but he wasn’t able to float. He just sunk further and further. His vision became darker and darker…

Something grabbed hold of his waist. He wanted to scream but only bubbles escaped from his lips. He felt the push of the water against his skin and his face hit the surface and he inhaled as much as air as he could only to cough, water still stuck in his throat. He stayed afloat and continued to cough, trying to maintain his composure. Tears formed in his eyes as he was unable to stop, the pain affecting his senses. His body was shaking though he wasn’t sure if it was from the water or something else.

He needed to get out. 

He flailed, but whatever was on his waist held on tightly. He couldn’t escape but he was desperate to. He heard yelling and couldn’t comprehend what was going on until his hand hit something he recognized as stone. He grabbed it frantically and something pulled him up. 

His legs were shaking even against the stone. He held onto whoever it was in front of him, not wanting to let go. 

“…iddle! Riddle, are you okay?!”

_Trey._ It was Trey.

A wave of relief rushed through him and he began to cry, glad that he was able to see his closest companion and be on land again. He felt a towel wrap around him as he sobbed. 

“We’ll be taking our leave now.” Trey’s voice was cold to whoever he was speaking to. “I’m sorry we have to cut our time short.”

“No, it’s not a problem.” Jade’s voice was also clipped and icy, far from his usual politeness. “I will have a word with Floyd about his actions. Please take care of Riddle-san.” 

Riddle was lifted up, utterly embarrassed. What an unsightly display, but he couldn’t do anything about it, still paralyzed, trying to process what had happened. 

He glanced up at Trey’s face. His expression was grim and serious, possibly scary enough to rival Riddle’s own usual demeanor. He had never seen his friend so angry in his life and that was enough for Riddle to not protest about being carried.

He finally calmed down a little before peeking past Trey’s arm to the ocean. 

Floyd was missing. Instead, Jade’s upper torso floated about, calling out for his brother.

* * *

**_Rule #222:_ ** _One must never accept apologies if it was their life that was in danger._

He had assured Trey that he was fine later that night. The memory was mostly hazy but also, he chose not to remember. The tightness in his chest, the uselessness of his legs, the darkness that surrounded him…he had to seal it away. 

_And the humiliation!_ Riddle grabbed his bedsheets, mortified that the world had seen his weakness. He wanted to hide under his covers and never leave his room. How could anybody respect him after that spectacle?! How could any first-year look at him and not make fun of him?! He was supposed to be the best, the most perfect of them all and yet, it was all thrown away. 

He was trying to determine if Cater’s unique magic could be given to him somehow so the real him could grovel while his clones could go to his classes. 

_No, no!_

Grovelling wasn’t an option. Sulking wasn’t an option. Humiliation wasn’t an option. _He was Riddle Rosehearts._ He would not be subjected to such tomfoolery. 

He had to hold his head up with pride, even after facing such a challenge.

There was a knock on his door. Riddle pursed his lips. He gave a small cough to make sure his voice was clear and commanding. “Enter.”

Instead of Trey or Cater, it was Floyd, transformed back into a human, that opened the door.

Riddle felt a shiver though it was different than before. Instead of annoyance, something uncomfortable bubbled up his chest and made him want to run instead. Getting away from Floyd was something he always did but this time, he just wanted Floyd to disappear. 

“Goldfish,” His voice was unnaturally calm and earnest, making the entire situation even stranger. “How…how are you?” 

“I’m not dead if that’s what you’re wondering.”

He didn’t expect much when it came to Floyd but could see his face change. His eyes widened just a bit more before returning to normal, his lip tightened in a straight line and his posture slumped a little more than usual. The air around him was awkward and threw Riddle off. 

There was something wrong.

“What are you doing here?” This time, it was a sensible question. Floyd didn’t come bothering him at the dorms often, preferring to stay away and not be subjected to the harsh rules of Heartslabyul. He learned the last time when he came by and immediately broke a rule that Riddle, when upholding such traditions, was not someone people could mess with. 

Floyd slowly closed the door and Riddle instinctively curled back in his spot. Floyd stopped moving briefly to examine him. He placed his hands to his side then looked around the room, not taking a step forward.

Riddle waited, his patience growing thin. It was definitely unusual to see Floyd so silent. Even if he was docile, he would be grumbling or complaining about something. He wasn’t sure if a silent Floyd was good or not. 

“I’m sorry.”

Riddle wasn’t sure if it was just the non-existent wind in the room or his imagination but clearly – _clearly_ – Floyd did not just apologize. It was absurd and utterly unheard of. He was sure that not even Azul had heard an apology out of his mouth. Jade, probably but still unlikely.

“You’re…sorry?” He had to voice it aloud to try to make more sense of it.

He couldn’t.

Floyd frowned. He took a step forward which made Riddle flinch. He took a step back.

“Yes,” Floyd confirmed. He reached up to his neck and began to rub it. “I…I’m sorry I threw you in the water. I didn’t think you couldn’t swim.”

The black stain of his life; it was the only thing Riddle probably didn’t know how to do. He was never taught, always focusing on his studies and whatever other rules his mother had for him. It never came up in his life as he never went near any large bodies of water that he needed to swim in. If needed, magic was always there. Even during physical education, he had requested the testing for swimming to be done after all the other students left.

Riddle gritted his teeth.

“I nearly died, Floyd.” Riddle spat out with force. The memory of darkness still haunted him; he was so close to being unable to see the light again. He laughed hollowly. “What makes you think I can forgive you for nearly killing me?” 

“I thought everyone knew how to swim,” Floyd grumbled loud enough for Riddle to hear. “How can you not?” 

“Not everyone was born in the water,” Riddle reminded him scathingly. “What would have happened if I wasn’t pulled out of the water? If you turned your head, thinking I would be fine and I sank to the bottom of the ocean? Did you not think of the consequences?”

Floyd had gotten paler and paler with each of his questions. His eyes were wide and mouth slightly agape, and Riddle could tell that consequences were not part of his thoughts. He always had an idea that this was the case when he did one thing and did the opposite the next moment. He didn’t have a care in the world, and it made Riddle’s blood boil. 

Floyd will continue doing that no matter what. 

“Floyd,” Riddle’s voice was firm. He narrowed his eyes and there was a crease in his brow. “Leave and never bother me again.”

“Eh…” Floyd’s shoulders dropped. “Come on, goldfish, you’re taking this too seriously—”

“You’re not serious enough!” Riddle shouted, causing even Floyd to jump. He had to calm down. He didn’t want to risk overblotting especially over _Floyd._ “You come in and expect me to accept your apology when you don’t even treat the situation seriously?! For all I know, Jade was the one who made you apologize and you didn’t even consider doing so on your own—”

“You’re wrong!” Floyd stepped forward and stood at the end of Riddle’s bed. His sharp teeth were pushed together, and his eyes showed a swirl of emotions Riddle had never seen on him before. “I never wanted to kill you. I thought you would just swim and have an interesting reaction like you always do! I told you I’m sorry!”

“And you think I can accept such a foolish apology?” Riddle shot back, no longer afraid of Floyd getting close. He just felt anger instead. “What makes you think I can accept the apology of someone who is as flimsy as you? Someone who probably would never apologize if he wasn’t in the right mood for it? I can’t trust you!” 

Floyd was silent. His face contorted before it calmed down, eyes and facial muscles returning into a neutral expression. 

“You don’t trust me?” His voice was faint and light. 

Riddle sighed, the blood slowly fading. Dealing with Floyd was like dealing with a child.

“I don’t.”

The air was heavy. Riddle thought Floyd would just leave at any moment because this was not his kind of atmosphere. He wished he did because that would mean he got some rest. 

Instead, Floyd sat at the end of his bed.

“How do I get your trust?”

Riddle stuttered, unsure on how to answer. He didn’t expect that. He didn’t expect Floyd’s voice to be almost gentle, or his eyes dropping and his teeth hidden away. He didn’t know what his game was but it was one Riddle was unfamiliar with. 

“W-why would you want my trust?” Riddle managed to finally say. 

“Because I want it.” Floyd shrugged though his careless smile wasn’t there. “Do I need another reason?”

“You can’t be serious…”

“Of course I am,” Floyd replied. He raised an eyebrow. “I’ve been serious all along.”

Riddle wasn’t sure if he could believe that but he wasn’t acting condescending anymore. In fact, he seemed almost…sane. Like he was actually _trying._ He didn’t move any closer nor was he teasing him like usual.

“T-then,” Riddle gave a small cough. “I have a list of baked goods from _Patisserie Roman_ that I want. Perhaps if you’re able to get _all_ of them will you gain a speck of my trust.”

This seemed good enough for Floyd. He stood up and hastily made his way out the door after Riddle gave him the list. 

When he went to class the next day, he was startled by the multitude of boxes with the famed insignia of _Patisserie Roman_ on them at his seat. He approached them slowly. Floyd sat behind all the boxes with his chest puffed out and a grin on his face. 

Riddle inspected each box.

Everything he requested was there.

* * *

**_Rule #184:_ ** _Only learn from the best of tutors so you never look like a fool!_

Riddle continued with his classes and daily life without much trouble. The beach was a distant memory that he chose to forget (and made sure his dormitory also forgot) and life moved on. Everything was normal.

Mostly. 

Not that Riddle was complaining but there was something nagging him in the back of his mind at how Floyd was treating him. It was as if he was treating him like something fragile. He still bothered Riddle, calling out to him when he could (and using that ridiculous nickname), but he hardly got close to him anymore. He maintained at least a metre away from him and didn’t reach out to touch him to mock his height like usual. 

Riddle was confused and angry at this action – rather, his lack of action.

He was quite sure if he wanted to confront him about it though. He enjoyed having a moment of peace and an easier opportunity to run away from Floyd but at the same time, he knew it wasn’t normal. Floyd was treating him like a weakling and Riddle was definitely not one. 

“Ne, goldfish~” Riddle sighed as Floyd continued to call him by that nickname. “You trust me, right? I got you all those snacks, so you trust me~” 

“I merely said you might gain a speck of my trust,” Riddle corrected without looking at him. He had been on his way to the library when Floyd had found him. “Who said you actually have it?” 

“You’re awful, goldfish…” 

Riddle glanced over at Floyd. He was pouting and looked disinterested but he didn’t leave. He continued walking next to him about a metre away, staying quiet. 

It was definitely strange.

“What’s wrong with you?” Riddle suddenly asked, the words tumbling out of his lips before he could stop it. He cursed silently to himself. He should never show _concern_ for Floyd Leech of all people.

“You’re so stingy!” Floyd answered quickly. “You like to play hard to get, don’t you?”

“What are you talking about?” Riddle asked. He furrowed his eyebrows, trying to figure out what he meant.

Floyd sighed dramatically, angering Riddle.

“Ne, goldfish~” Floyd turned to him, expression calm. “Are you still afraid of the water?”

“O-of course not!” Riddle spluttered, feeling his face turn red. He looked away from Floyd, hoping he wouldn’t see. “When have I ever been afraid of the water?! How absurd!”

“Hmm, is that so?” Floyd laughed and Riddle turned to see that grin back on his face. “I’m glad.”

Riddle didn’t question why. Floyd seemed to be returning back to his irritating self so he let it be for now. 

The weekend had arrived without much annoyance from Floyd. Riddle had some paperwork to do so that Sunday would be the perfect day.

However, when have his days ever been perfect? 

Floyd crashed through the garden of the dormitory with gusto, eyes shining in excitement, sparkling particularly when they landed on Riddle. Instinctively, he stood up from his seat and began to run.

“Goldfish! Wait up!”

He did not wait.

It didn’t matter where he went in the garden, slipping through the rose bushes or flamingos, Floyd’s long legs caught up to him in no time. For someone who is actually a merman, he walked _way_ too fast.

Floyd’s arms surrounded him, landing on the tree Riddle wanted to pass. Whether left or right, he was caught. He could sense that he was ready for his protests so even though Riddle had confidence in the strength of his magic, Floyd was bound to retaliate just as quickly. 

He sighed and looked up at his grinning face, hating how much he towered over him. 

“What are you doing here?” This seemed like a recurring theme between them. Floyd should stop appearing wherever Riddle was so he could stop asking such a tiring question. 

Floyd’s smile got larger. He grabbed Riddle’s wrist and began to drag him away. “Let’s go!” 

“Huh?” Floyd was too strong. His body wasn’t able to maintain the balance he needed to pull back, being dragged into his pace. They went through the rest of the garden to get to the front and Riddle yelled at his dormitory members to help him but all the first-years looked terrified at the idea of dealing with Floyd Leech. 

Floyd was using pure strength so Riddle wasn’t able to fight back. It was frustrating that he was so small in comparison and even with all the strength he had, he would barely budge. He pulled out his Magic Pen but even with his back to him, his spells deflected. 

He must be in a good mood today.

They traversed through the school and the hallways, catching the eyes of some students as they passed by. Riddle felt his face heat up, unable to look at any of them. When Floyd was in a good mood, nothing could stop him; Riddle’s protests, magic, strength – everything was weak in comparison which frustrated him more. 

They arrived at the school pool and immediately, Floyd stripped himself of his clothes and jumped in. Riddle promptly got splashed, his clothes now soaking and cold against his skin. There was no one there so it should’ve been locked but leave it to Floyd to find a way in. 

“What are you doing?” Riddle asked as he took out his pen to cast a spell to dry himself. He could just leave now that Floyd had transformed into his merform. 

His head popped out of the water, eyes looking at him expectantly. “Let’s swim together, goldfish~” 

Riddle twitched. 

“I refuse!” He declared without a second thought. He clicked his tongue before replying quietly. “You know I can’t swim.”

Floyd’s long tail splashed him again, angering him further. He was going to yell at him but before he did, Floyd spoke. “I can teach you!”

“Hah?” Riddle removed his soaked bangs from his eyes and looked at Floyd. He was grinning, sharp teeth showing. “Why?” 

“Because it’s more fun to swim together!” Floyd answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I’m an expert at swimming so I can teach you perfectly~”

“Floyd, you’re currently in your merform.” Riddle pointed out. “How are you going to teach a human how to swim the human way if you’re like this?” 

“Eh, swimming is the same no matter what.”

“No, it’s not!”

“The only difference is you have two tail fins instead of one,” Floyd shrugged off Riddle’s protest without flinching. “It’s the same idea, just move them around. Well, I guess yours aren’t as big since you’re such a small goldfish, so you have to move your arms too.” 

“I tried that and it didn’t work,” Riddle recalled his thrashing at the beach. “Unless you can teach me the proper technique, it’s not like I can learn something from you.”

“Hmm, I see~” The lilt in Floyd’s voice was anything but pleasant. “I guess the little goldfish is still afraid after all…” 

“Of course not!” Riddle declared, his face turning red. “Water is an essential need of every day lift! Swimming is something I choose not to partake in because there’s no need. Also, I do not have a swimming suit.”

“Just go in without clothes like me!” 

_“Asinine merman!”_

“Awful…” Floyd pouted though it wasn’t a true pout or else he would just ignore Riddle. His tail fluttered above the water, looming higher and higher. “Can’t be helped then.”

“Flo— _AAAAAH._ ” 

His tail had reached over for Riddle once more and pulled him in the water. He braced himself to be submerged once more but his head stayed afloat, the long tail still holding onto his waist tightly. He kicked, the urge to get higher increasing inside until he felt cold hands against his cheeks. Floyd was in front of him with a smile.

“See? You’re fine.”

“Floyd, let me out. I—”

“You won’t drown.” His voice was still airy and light, but there was a firmness Riddle hadn’t heard before. “I won’t let you. Goldfish is too precious to drown.”

His tail lifted him up a little higher so the water was at his chest. He bounced up and down with the waves every so often but Floyd didn’t do more than what was necessary, allowing Riddle to slowly get used to the water. 

“Keep your belly and chest up,” Floyd said. Riddle felt his tail loosen around his waist, placing itself on his back instead. Floyd grabbed his wrists and kept him steady. “Don’t fight the water. Relax into it and it won’t hurt you.” 

Riddle slowly leaned back, resting on Floyd’s tail. Floyd released his wrist, and Riddle almost panicked again, but he could still feel his support. He swallowed and closed his eyes, keeping his stomach and chest up. Eventually, the tail slowly disappeared and Riddle was floating on his own. 

“See? That’s not so bad.” Floyd’s cheerful voice stated with a small laugh. Riddle opened his eyes and saw him floating next to him, smiling like a child. “Don’t you trust my teaching methods?” 

Riddle frowned. He looked up at the ceiling. It was very calming actually, just floating like that. The water had definitely cooled down his temper and after dealing with anger and fear, he felt tired. There were no first-years to yell at, no work there, nobody else around to hold himself up to – just the water in a largely empty room.

“It could be better.”

* * *

**_Rule #401:_ ** _One should never accept food or drinks from a stranger!_

Swimming lessons weren’t something they consistently did as Riddle was quite busy with his school life. However, any time Floyd dragged him around somewhere, there was just a little less resistance. He learned to keep his swimsuit with him just in case. He knew it was going to become a bad habit, skipping on some duties just to learn how to swim, but Riddle found that it was relaxing to stay in the pool, even if it was just the shallow end.

He learned to swim quickly. Of course he did; he _was_ Riddle Rosehearts. He was the top of his class and something like swimming was just a small bump in the road, a tiny scratch on his skin. He was able to swim even with the inconsistent lessons and Floyd’s awful (well, not _terrible_ ) instructions. He was no weakling.

However, that was besides the point.

“What,” His voice was icy. There was a throb in his neck, his veins becoming more prominent on his skin, “are we doing here?”

“Hmm?” Floyd hummed from his spot in the ocean – _the ocean_ – acting as innocently as his guilty face could. His tail flicked out of the water, specks of water landing on Riddle’s face. “Swimming like always!” 

“What’s wrong with the pool?”

“It’s bo-ring~” Floyd leaned back on the surface, parts of his body submerging underneath. “It’s so small. Maybe it looks big to you, goldfish~”

_“What did you say?”_ Riddle stepped forward only for a wave to come onto the rock. He took a step back. “The waves…they’re a bit strong, aren’t they?”

“They’re no problem!” Floyd laughed as he casually jumped out of the water. He did a backflip and came back up. “They’re just small fries.”

Riddle wasn’t convinced.

Floyd suddenly smirked. “Waaah! What’s this? Little goldfish is scared of the ocean, right? I thought you were just worried because you couldn’t swim but that’s not the case.”

“T-that’s not—” Another wave interrupted him, covering his shoes. Riddle pursed his lips before he threw off his uniform, a pair of swim trunks underneath and promptly went in the cold water, determined to prove Floyd wrong. Now that he gained his new skills, he was able to surface without problems. He turned to Floyd with an arrogant grin but it dropped when he saw that he was just giddy. 

“Let’s go further!” 

Before Riddle could protest, Floyd grabbed his wrist and swam faster than he ever did. Riddle had to push himself to raise his head out of the water to breathe and it was difficult to see what was going on with how quickly they went. The cold surrounded him but his skin started to adapt, becoming one with the water. Eventually, Floyd slowed down and Riddle collapsed, his body exhausted though he didn’t do anything.

“What was that all of a sudden?” Riddle looked up at him angrily. “What if I drowned?”

“Of course you wouldn’t,” Floyd laughed. “I taught you how to swim so I knew you could do it~” 

“What _if,_ ” Riddle shook his head and punched him on the shoulder. “You should consider the consequences of your actions!”

“You sound like Azul,” Floyd turned his head, eyes drooping slightly. “So annoying.”

Riddle shuddered at the thought of being compared to _Azul_ of all people. As much as he could respect his intelligence and cunning, he was underhanded and dirty and always willing to find loopholes in perfectly good rules to gain the upperhand. What a tragic character, unable to accomplish what he wanted with the restrictions on him.

“I’ll have you know that I’m nothing like Azul!” Riddle retorted much to Floyd’s amused expression. “Don’t compare him to me!” 

“Hmm, perhaps you’re right,” Floyd’s face got closer with a smile showing off his sharp teeth. Riddle suddenly realized that he was in Floyd’s arms and they had been facing each other for who knows how long. The once cold water suddenly became unbearably hot as Floyd’s face got closer to him. “Goldfish is nothing like Azul…” 

Riddle was frozen in place as he felt Floyd’s breath slowly get closer to his face. His heart was thrumming through his chest, causing it to shake. He was unable to say a word though, letting Floyd get closer and closer—

And he was smashed on the side of his face with a giant wave. He slipped out of Floyd’s arms under the water and kicked and paddled his arms in practiced movements to get back to the surface. He could see the light but for some reason, it was too far – much further than he had anticipated. He kicked harder and pushed forward to reach the surface but could feel his lungs start to fail. A bubble escaped his lips as he tried to scream. 

_“Floyd!”_ He tried to call out but it came out as a blur. 

Something in the distance caught his attention. It was a shadow that got closer to him quickly. He couldn’t tell what it was as his consciousness started to fade but felt something cold against his cheeks before it met his lips, a liquid gushing inside of him. 

Then he could breathe. 

He gasped for air and opened his eyes only to realize he was still underwater. He looked around and his vision was clearer in the water than before and saw Floyd floating in front of him, fear on his face.

“What,” He was surprised by the clarity of his voice, “What happened?” 

“I gave you a potion, specially made by Azul,” The tension in Floyd’s shoulders dropped. He reached for Riddle, a hand on his cheek and for some reason, he didn’t reject him. “I’m glad I made it in time.” 

“That…surprised me.” Riddle knew he should be angrier. He almost drowned _again_ even though he learned how to swim. He should be more humiliated under these circumstances but he wasn’t. 

He somehow believed that Floyd would come save him.

“I’m surprised too,” Floyd said as his hand traced down Riddle’s shoulder. “I expected you to turn into an actual goldfish.”

“Wha—” Riddle looked down and gasped.

His legs and swim trunks were gone. The same feeling of having legs were there but instead, they were replaced with a large, red fish tail. He touched it, feeling the smooth scales on it before noticing the webbing between his fingers that were tinged with the same crimson of the tail. He touched his head and felt something long where his ears once were, as if fins had suddenly grown there.

“What kind of potion was that?” 

“Oh, just one to turn you into a mermaid temporarily,” Floyd answered with a shrug. “It would be fun if you can swim a little deeper but humans can’t hold their breath for so long.”

Riddle nodded absent-mindedly as he flicked his own tail. It was flowy like a scarf in the wind, casually going along with the small waves of the water. It was mesmerizing to watch as he controlled the movement, entranced by his own tail. 

“Being a merman is awesome, isn’t it?” Floyd laughed. He grabbed Riddle’s hand, causing him to look up. “There’s a nearby village here we can check out too! Let’s go!” 

Riddle was surprised that he was able to keep up with Floyd. They arrived at the underwater village quickly enough and saw the vast amount of coral surrounding them. There were many merfolk there, tails of different colours and shapes, all of them swimming and flipping freely. There was so much to look at from the architecture of the buildings, to the colourful coral and fish, to the activities everyone was doing.

It was a completely new world. 

“Looks like they’re having a festival!” Floyd said. He pointed to something that looks like a stall. “Let’s grab some food!”

Floyd did all the talking, speaking a language Riddle was unfamiliar with. He returned with two skewers of what looked like raw fish and began munching on it like a small, hungry child. Riddle examined it carefully before he also took a bite.

“Delicious,” He had never had anything like that. Rule #98 indicated that all meat and fish must be cooked carefully to avoid any illnesses so he had never had them raw before. He frowned, realizing that he had broken another rule but tried to reason that he was just following Rule #202 in which one must respect another culture’s way of life, no matter how different it must be. That reassured him a bit.

“Isn’t it? There’s more food where that comes from!” Floyd had thrown his skewer casually away and Riddle watched as it blended in with the coral surrounding them. “Let’s go check out the rest!”

Riddle finished his food and threw it just like Floyd did. They went through the town, taking a look at the items for sale, his eyes being caught on the pearl items that would cost a fortune back in his hometown. There were seashells designed in what looked like jewellery, blankets with waterproof fabric he had never seen before, and, of course, various foods that Riddle had only heard of in books.

“Ne, goldfish~” Riddle turned back to Floyd after examining an old tome that was still preserved after its time in the water (he wondered if there was a special enchantment on it). Floyd reached out for Riddle’s hair and clipped his bangs back with something. “Hmm, looks good like I thought.” 

“Eh? What’s—” Riddle reached out and felt something akin to a hairclip. It felt like a seashell of some sort but it was more circular with some ridges on it. In the centre, there was something small and smooth.

“A souvenir,” Floyd answered without the complete question. “From your time in the ocean.”

“Floyd, I cannot accept it,” Riddle shook his head and took it off. It was a red seashell shaped like a rose with a singular white pearl in the middle. The craftsmanship was impressive and nothing was cracked. “It goes against Rule #22 of the Queen of Hearts: one shall not accept gifts from strange men.”

“Ehh? Strange?” Floyd whined. “I’m not strange! I’m completely normal.”

“No…that’s definitely not the case.”

“You’re the strange one, goldfish,” Floyd insisted with a frown. “What human doesn’t know how to swim?! That’s crazy.”

“Some humans don’t know how to swim,” Riddle replied calmly though it was difficult. He was trying not to snap at him. “Did you know how to walk as soon as your tail turned into legs?”

“It didn’t take too long to learn.” Now he knew that Floyd was trying to anger him on purpose. “But I’m not a strange man, goldfish! I’m your esteemed swimming teacher and I’m giving it to you as a job well done!”

“I cannot—” 

“Too bad,” Floyd interrupted. “I already paid for it so it’s yours now! It doesn’t match Octavinelle’s uniform so I can’t wear that or Azul will complain.”

Floyd turned away and Riddle could tell his mood was souring. If he was in a bad mood, what would that mean for Riddle? How long did this potion last? Would Floyd be willing to help him if they accidentally went overtime? Would he be left behind if he decided to do something else since he was no longer interested?

Riddle didn’t want that.

He looked at the clip before placing it back in his hair where Floyd had put it originally. He swam up to him and tugged Floyd’s arm. “What next?”

Floyd’s bored expression slowly changed as he stared at Riddle’s face. His smile returned and Riddle tried to ignore how his heart seemed to have jumped at that. 

They swam off with Floyd guiding him on underwater music.

* * *

**_Rule #10:_ ** _Curfew is strictly at 10PM!_

The dormitory was always too lively at this time of night to concentrate on any work but it was closing time for the library so he had no choice. Riddle made his back to the Heartslabyul dormitory when suddenly, a weight pressed against his head. He was familiar with the amount that was placed there, looking up at Floyd who was grinning at him.

“Did you need something?”

“Jade told me something interesting!” Floyd replied, hand moving to the seashell hair clip on Riddle’s head. He slapped it away. It wasn’t like he _liked_ it. He hadn’t had a chance to get a haircut yet and it was convenient for him to remove his bangs so he could see properly.

He absolutely didn’t wear it because he liked it.

“Tonight, the sky will be falling!” Floyd continued with his arms in the air. “Lots of lights will be coming down and will destroy the earth!”

“Do you mean the meteor shower?” Riddle had recalled Trey asking for permission to stay after curfew for it. Apparently, the science club was going to examine it with the astronomy club. “It won’t destroy the earth.”

“Ehh.” Floyd’s arms fell to his side. “That’s laaame.”

“If they _did_ destroy the earth, you wouldn’t be able to swim anymore, would you?” Riddle reasoned. “You wouldn’t be able to play basketball or have anymore fun.”

“I guess but why was Jade so excited about it then?” Floyd asked while crossing his arms. “If it’s just lights falling, we can just break the chandeliers in Mostro Lounge then.” 

“I highly doubt Azul will let that happen,” Riddle could see the leader of Octavinelle dorm absolutely lose his cool at the destruction. It brought a smile to his face. “Meteor showers are beautiful if you take the time to look at them. Perhaps a better comparison for you is like swimming; very calming and relaxing, and something that is meant to be enjoyed rather than to expect a ridiculous show of.” 

“Do you like them, goldfish?” 

“Hmm,” Riddle placed a finger on his chin to think. “I don’t think I’ve actually seen one. Whenever one happened, I didn’t know about it until it was finished due to my upbringing. It was rainy during the one last year as well so there was no opportunity.” 

“Then let’s watch it together!” Floyd immediately said. He grabbed Riddle’s hand and ran again. Riddle, though still irked, was unfortunately used to this now. He almost didn’t have enough energy to fight him anymore.

“Floyd, slow down!” Riddle called out to him. “My legs—” 

Floyd promptly turned and lifted Riddle up from under his knees. Suddenly, he found himself in a princess carry as Floyd ran past various students to wherever they were heading. Riddle hid his red face behind the books he was holding, hoping no one would see that it was him.

‘Why is this happening?!’

He continued to hide himself until Floyd came to a halt. Slowly removing the book from his face, he looked around to see if there were any other students there to see his buffoonery. He got out of Floyd’s arm and looked around, noticing that they were in one of the towers of the school. They walked out to the balcony, leaning on the ledge. 

“Ehh, where are the falling lights?” Floyd looked up at the sky only to see it completely clear with stars sparkling faintly in the distance.

“It’s probably not time yet,” Riddle answered, looking up as well. He wasn’t sure if he had ever seen this many so clearly. “You must be patient.” 

“Don’t wanna.” Floyd slouched, placing his head in his arms. “It’s boring. Where’s Jade? He said he was gonna look at them too.” 

“Perhaps he’s in a different tower,” Riddle replied. There were many places from the school that would have a good view of the stars. There were too many and he hoped that Floyd decided not to drag him to all of them to search for his brother. “You can contact him and join him instead.”

“…no.” Floyd mumbled quietly. “It’s fine.” 

Riddle raised an eyebrow. He went from wanting to find Jade to not wanting to. Were his mood swings always that quick? He didn’t understand how Jade could handle it.

“Floyd, look!” Riddle grabbed his arm and pointed to the sky. The first of the lights had appeared. Soon after, many more started to fall, a light show brighter than any of the other stars performing.

Riddle watched in awe. He thought the stars above held such beauty but it was different when they moved, creating a mystery of what laid beyond. It was exciting to see so many new and different things and experience them as well. If he had stuck to every single rule, he was sure that he wouldn’t have experienced such a thing. 

“Amazing,” Riddle whispered. He pulled at Floyd’s arm, not caring that it was Floyd of all people. “Look at them! They’re beautiful.” 

Floyd raised his eyebrows and Riddle finally snapped out of his own child-like wonder. He looked away, flushing in embarrassment that Floyd got to see that from him. He had to hide it better.

“It is.” Floyd agreed and Riddle couldn’t help but smile, like finding a friend with something in common.

He turned back to Floyd only to see his face centimetres from his. Without another word, Floyd’s lips were on his.

* * *

It took Riddle too long to process what was happening. The gears in his head continued to turn uncontrollably until they snapped off and he pushed Floyd away, his legs carrying him into the school once more. 

He was having trouble breathing as he ran, blood flowing through his head, his heart beating rapidly. He stopped in one hallway to catch his breath but the heat from his face and the constant drumming in his chest didn’t cease.

He kneeled on the floor, trying not to scream.

**_Rule #810:_ ** _Never fall in love._

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far, thank you for reading my first fic for this fandom! I'm new to the Twisted Wonderland fandom (only reading the stories from last week) but I'm growing very attached to the characters. All of them have their own charm!
> 
> Riddle and Floyd are such an interesting pair. I'm still trying to get used to their voices and dynamic so I apologize for any OOC. Hopefully that will be rectified once more content releases.
> 
> I would like to write more for these two (a potential sequel?) and others so I'm excited to get those ideas rolling.
> 
> Once again, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> UPDATE: Thank you to Lynazell for the AMAZING commission! Her brain and skills are absolutely fantastic. Please check her out at the following links!
> 
> [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/lynazell/?hl=fr)   
>  [Twitter](https://twitter.com/lynazell)   
>  [ArtStation](https://www.artstation.com/lynazell)


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